Chapter 75 - 75 078 cannot proceed

Chapter 75: 078 cannot proceed Chapter 75: 078 cannot proceed He Group, CEO’s office.

There was a knock on the door, and He Xing slowly lifted his head, “Please come in.”

Yi Lixing pushed the door open, “CEO He, you wanted to see me about something?”

Liang Tao, carrying a cup of coffee, entered and immediately asked on seeing Yi Lixing, “Manager Yi, would you like something to drink, coffee or tea?”

“Tea… Thank you, but no need,” Yi Lixing was obviously distracted as he watched He Xing, his gaze constantly shifting onto Liang Tao, hesitating to speak.

He Xing stirred his coffee, “Liang Tao, step out for a moment, and without my orders, nobody is to come in.”

Only He Xing and Yi Lixing remained in the vast office, silently looking at each other as the air pressure in the office seemed to drop, as if two currents were clashing and confronting each other, each trying to outlast the other.

It was no surprise that He Xing had the upper hand. He smiled faintly, “Manager Yi, please take a seat.”

Yi Lixing looked deeply at He Xing before sitting down opposite him, “CEO He, why did you want to see me?”

“You don’t know why I summoned you?” He Xing’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “After graduation, when I joined the Group, you were the first high executive I hired. You’re smart enough to guess what I’m about to say, aren’t you?”

The color on Yi Lixing’s already pale face subtly shifted, but he quickly concealed it, managing a smile, “You mean to say, as someone who has worked in public relations for so many years, I still made such a mistake today, which is unforgivable, and I need to be dealt with according to company policy, right?”

He Xing leisurely sipped his coffee, neither confirming nor denying.

“But, CEO He, the tender document you brought out is different from the one you initially approved for me to bid with, how do you explain that?” Yi Lixing leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, “Is it that you don’t trust me, or is there something fishy about this whole thing?”

He Xing started laughing, a laugh like a snow lotus growing on a cliffside — beautiful, yet devoid of warmth, “The He Group’s tender documents have been leaked before. I don’t do business solely through virtue. I understand the principle of always having a backup plan; if plan A gets leaked, I switch to plan B.”

“So I’ve been deceived? The tender document you gave me this morning was a fake?” A cold light shot from Yi Lixing’s eyes as he stared at He Xing almost viciously, “I never thought I’d capsize in your gutter, but I can’t say it’s unjustified.”

“Fake is not exactly the word I’d use.” He Xing looked calmly at Yi Lixing, as if not seeing a betrayer but a friend, “If the tender document I gave you hadn’t been lost, it would be the one to win the bid. Unfortunately, you failed to seize your last chance.”

After graduating, He Xing was directly thrown into the headquarters of He Group by Old Master He, and what’s more, he was given the position of general manager. At the time, he was young and an outside appointee, often bullied by those who thought themselves high and mighty, both openly and behind his back.

One could say that Yi Lixing was his first confidant in the company. They supported each other, with one becoming the PR Department Director with yearly bonuses, and the other, the Executive Chairman, recognized as the heir to the entire Group.

The betrayal by someone he had fought alongside was not something even the strong-willed He Xing could endure without internal turmoil, especially as the last time He Group’s tender documents were leaked, leading to a lost bid, ultimately won by the Xia Group.

Though He Xing outwardly claimed it was no big deal, he had been secretly investigating ever since.

Yi Lixing’s already pale face turned even whiter. After a long silence, he lowered his head and said, “CEO He, I’ve let you down this time, but could you give me another chance? I swear there won’t be a next time.”

The disappointment on He Xing’s face was clear as he shook his head, “Once unfaithful, forever useless. You have overdrafted your trust with me. The most I can do for you now is to not publicize your professional misconduct. As for the job you find after leaving He Group, it is of no concern to me.”

Having worked together for years, Yi Lixing knew full well that He Xing always meant what he said. He slowly stood up and almost reached the door when he turned back, “CEO He, I hope we’ll have the chance to meet again in another world.”

A few minutes later, when Liang Tao came in with documents, he assessed He Xing’s mood – not too bad – and mustered the courage to ask, “CEO He, did you fire Manager Yi because he lost the tender document?”

“Yes,” He Xing raised his head and looked coldly at Liang Tao, “Everyone must be held accountable for their actions. From now on, Yi Lixing is no longer a part of He Group. If you disclose any information related to He Group to him, you can expect to share his fate.”

Liang Tao swallowed hard, hastily assuring that he would never do such a thing.

He Xing lifted his head from behind the computer, “Is there any news on Fu Han?”

“There is,” Liang Tao perked up immediately, “I found out that Miss Fu left City A by plane last night, headed for Wu City.”

“Keep a close watch,” He Xing mused, then commanded, “Report any news about Fu Han to me immediately, and also buy me the next available ticket to Wu City.”

Liang Tao’s expression changed immediately, and he reminded in a low voice, “CEO He, with the tender signing the day after tomorrow, many details of the film shoot needing your direct oversight, and your one-month agreement with the board of directors, it’s not quite convenient for you to leave City A now.”

The light in He Xing’s eyes dimmed momentarily as he glanced at the thick stack of documents waiting to be signed on his desk, ultimately letting out a deep sigh before dismissing Liang Tao with a wave of his hand.

The headquarters of He Group was abuzz today, with the PR Department Director’s dismissal stirring much debate, eventually dividing opinions into two factions. Some said Yi Lixing had already secured a fallback plan before resigning, others argued that he had done something unforgivable to He Xing.

Since everyone dared not ask He Xing directly, and Yi Lixing had hurriedly packed up and left, the matter became an enigma, with no one knowing the truth.

Liang Tao, being half in the know, and out of respect for the power of He Xing, didn’t dare to utter a word about it.

…

When Fu Han woke up from her sleep, the journey was far from over. Her ticket was bought last-minute, and she was upgraded to first class after boarding the plane, hence she and Luo Qinghe were not seated together; their seats were neither too close nor too far apart.

She sat by the window, looking through the glass to see the white clouds below her feet, with the sky a blindingly blue, the kind that is crystal clear.

Even before reaching Antarctica, the sky here already gave her a sense of liberation and anticipation for what she might encounter there.

She looked toward Luo Qinghe’s seat, only able to see the top half of his head as he slept soundly with his head covered.

Fu Han habitually took out her phone to check the news online, wanting to see if He Xing and Xia Ning were still in the limelight.

But upon opening her phone, she remembered there was no network on the plane; she couldn’t access those updates.